Ciuffo

Some of the last generation :


gallina con testa nera as the "Mori" on the Sardegnia flag :

Only +- 20 weeks old and becoming "Mostri a seta" ;-)

Gorgeous, enchantable, beautiful, unbelievable and unpredictable!!!!

Amaranto48, 16-6-2012 15:00:

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Gorgeous, enchantable, beautiful, unbelievable and unpredictable!!!!

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I am glad you like them Daniela :-) The rooster is special because he is one of the first two Moroseta males born with a vault (hernia craniale) this was a lethal factor in EU Silkie males until now.

So finally Pepe is proven right to say they are "Mostoseta" ;-)

This story of the vault is not clear to me. Of the new born I have, three seemed to have a vault, one died immediately after few days drawned, but I do not know yet if the two survivors are male or feminae. One seems to be a male, since is identical to the father, and the other to the mother, both seem healthy and with no problems, but they are just 1 month and half old. Other thing I noted is that this vault was very evident when they were jusy born, but now is disappearing under the feathers. I cannot see the vault on yours, either, I only see feathers. Is it detectable only if you touch them?

I try to provide some data concerning the vaults in Moroseta.
That male vault is/was lethal to can be born. The male chicks with a vault died at day 18 in the egg, so they were never born.
Here in Europe when you have a 1 day old chick with a vault you could be sure it was a female.
In the US since many years the lethal factor in male Silkies is circumvented, and now also in EU.
The fact is a vault is not accepted for Silkies in exhibitions (also not for females).
This vault came in the Silkie race because of crosses with Olandese con Ciuffo in which many years ago the same phenomenon of circumvented took place for the lethal factor in the males.
Indeed after some time this vault is not more visible and only detectable by touch.
The tought for accepting a vault is that the surface of the skull becomes bigger and so providing more place for a bigger ciuffo.
There are of course big opponents for the vault because they contain also negative aspects.

I like to see some photos of your Silkies with the vault (because I am a Silkie obsessed).

PS if you find this explanation interesting enough maybe you could translate it to Italiano for our monolingual friends.

Cerco di dare qualche informazione sull'ernia craniale delle Moroseta.
L'ernia craniale nel maschio della specie è/era letale per i nascituri.
I pulcini maschi con ernia morivano nell'uovo al 18° giorno, così non potevano nascere.
Qui in Europa quando si ha un pulcino di un giorno con un'ernia craniale, si può essere sicuri che sia femmina.
Negli USA, da diversi anni, il fattore letale nei maschi moroseta è stato aggirato (? risolto, tenuto sotto controllo?), e adesso anche in Europa.
Di fatto l'ernia non è accettata per le Moroseta nelle esibizioni (anche nelle femmine).
Questa ernia si è sviluppata nelle Moroseta a causa degli incroci con l'Olandese ciuffata, nella quale molti anni fa lo stesso fenomeno di (aggiramento (?)(fu affrontato? risolto? tenuto sotto controllo?)a causa del suo effetto letale sui maschi.
L'ipotesi per accettare un'ernia craniale è che la superficie del cranio diventa più grande e quindi ne consegue un ciuffo più grande.
Vi sono naturalmente grandi opposizioni all'ernia perchè oresenta degli aspetti negativi.

In realtà, dopo qualche tempo, questa ernia non è più visibile, ma si rivela solo tastandola.

I like to see some photos of your Silkies with the vault (because I am a Silkie obsessed).

PS if you find this explanation interesting enough maybe you could translate it to Italiano for our monolingual friends.

Thanks for the translation Daniela :-)
Circumvented = aggirato. It means something as nature found a way to go around the problem. Their is no scientific explanation for this (as far as I know). It's a phenomenon that happens as for example bamboe that start flowering at the same time all over the world.
Make your daughter hurry because I am curious to can see your hidden precious jewelry ;-)

This are detail photos of the 2 young (only 20 weeks old now) Silkie roosters ciuffo on a vaulted head :

This one his beard is not good to see because it's wed !

These ciuffo should increase for + 1/2 when they have moulted in September.

To compare with a young Silkie rooster from a wellknown US Silkie line in EU :




You can follow my breeding project on this link : https://sites.google.com/site/silkiesmoroseta